UPDATE: Thank you to all of our incredible supporters. With your help we have paid the outstanding balance on our Hydro bill, and started to pay down our vet bill. We could not have done this without your help!I have been putting off writing this for the past couple of weeks, but today I am forced to come to you for help. From time to time last year I wrote about our financial struggles. Each time you came forward and helped with the immediate problem, and I am extremely grateful for that. Unfortunately, the underlying problem is still there. Our day to day operations are not bringing in enough to cover our operating expenses.Today I received a phone call from Manitoba Hydro, stating that our electricity and gas are scheduled for cut off on the 15th of this month unless we make arrangements to pay the almost $3000 we owe them before the end of this month. The cats will be cold and in the dark if we do not make that deadline. Sadly, that is only a small portion of our shortfall from last year.2013 was an amazing year. Your generosity let us help over 400 new cats. Our colony manager program grew so that many more neighbourhoods are working to reduce the number of cats on their streets. Our foster program grew to accommodate over 100 cats and kittens at a time. We found permanent, loving homes for over 300 cats and kittens (that's an estimate, but I suspect the actual numbers are a bit higher). Our volunteer base grew dramatically. CSC incorporated as a first step to achieving registered charity status, and the application process is ongoing.These are all incredible, amazing things, and you helped us raise almost all of what they cost. Almost. Our budget is $250,000 / year. We finished 2013 with $15,000 in outstanding bills. When you think about it, that is rather remarkable. That $15,000 represents a 6% shortfall for the year. It is absolutely amazing the amount of money that came in to support our work last year. I truly wish that we could just celebrate that achievement. Sadly, we can't.Today I must ask you, again, to help us cover our outstanding debts. Short term, we must raise $3,000 to cover our Hydro bills. If we do not send that amount to Manitoba Hydro our gas and electricity will be disconnected. We must also raise $12,000 to pay off our other outstanding debts, most of which are vet bills. These amounts are over and above what is needed to pay current bills.How can you help? Lots of ways.

1. Make a donation online at http://craigstcats.ca/donate.html2. Send a cheque to Craig Street Cats, 489 Madison St., Wpg, MB, R3J 1J23. Drop into our adoption centre and buy some of our fundraising items. We have gorgeous calendars that feature our beautiful cats, the world's best cat beds, cat trees, cat toys, and a lot of other items that make great gifts for cats and the people who love them.

4. Challenge your friends and family to meet or beat a pledge you have made.5. Share this post. The more people who read it, the more likely we are to reach our goals.Thank you.

Author

Lynne Scott is the founder, president, and executive director of Craig Street Cats.